Love Isn't
by Arayal
Summary: All Draco wanted was a little sleep. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently. HGDM and a little bit of action at the end.


**Hey everyone, I thought that since while I had D/Her on the brain, I'd write a little one shot about the pair. Plus one very upset, obnoxious behaving Weasley. There was actually a song that inspired this little stroke of creativity, but I won't disclose which one. **

**Disclaimer: Now really if I owned any of this would I have need of a disclaimer?**

**Love Isn't**

The loud and angry sounding knocking was what roused Draco Malfoy from the most delightfully deep state of slumber he had experienced in quite some time. Thus he was understandably annoyed when the insistent noise pollution refused to cease and he was forced to rise. He carefully dislodged himself from the other occupant of his four-poster, who was currently curled around him in a most deliciously inviting way, and spared a smile at her sleepy grumbles. Immediately, she rolled over and sank back into sleep.

Momentarily ignoring the incessant knocking, Draco tenderly brought his green silk sheets up to cover his bedmate, then slipped on and belted a bathrobe of the same colour and material--a gift from his lover the weekend before as a late birthday present. He ran a hand through his thoroughly tousled hair and glanced at the mirror, which leered at him suggestively quite independent of his own frowning features.

Grabbing his wand and sticking it in a pocket, he sneaked quietly out of his private Head Boy chamber and crossed the common room in long strides, anxious to get back to bed. He wondered briefly who could be calling at this time of night, before he opened the portrait and readied a scowl for the intruder. He was not expecting to encounter a furious Ronald Weasley, and when he did Draco's expression transformed into a bona fide glower. The absolute last person he wanted to see was his lover's ex.

Ron barged past him without invitation and into the common room that adjoined the bedrooms of the Head Students. At first all he did was prowl the quarters, once in a while shooting venomous glances at the Slytherin.

Draco sighed and bit out shortly, "What do you want, Weasel? "

Weasley mumbled something, but all that Draco got out of it was, "...'s myheiny."

Draco retreated into a demeanor of cold politeness that bordered on rude. "I beg you're pardon, Weasley?"

The redhead snorted scornfully. "Didn't think Malfoys lowered themselves to beg for anything. I said," he pronounced slowly as if talking to someone rather dull witted, "Where. Is. My. Hermione.?"

Draco stared at him incredulously for a moment, wondering if the man had been knocked on the head by a bludger one too many times. Then his lips curled up into a disdainful sneer. He understood now, Weasley had come here to take out all his righteous indignation on the person he perceived to be at fault for the decidedly downward turn his life had taken. "_Your _Hermione? I was under the impression that you had broken up. Or rather, she had broken it off with _you_." 'And is now sleeping in _my_ bed,' he added silently.

Ron caught the implication that seemed to hang there after Malfoy's words, but pretended to ignore it. Ignorance was bliss after all, "Oh she'll come 'round eventually. I'm the best thing that ever happened to her. Not that it's any of your concern." Ron added as an afterthought. His outside demeanor was admirably calm, but on the inside he was calling Malfoy every filthy name that he could think of.

"Is that so? I also heard tell that the reason she broke it off was a direct result of your decidedly, ah, _unfaithful_ conduct with... Brown was it? Or one of the Patil twins?"

A smirk settled on Ron's face, it had actually been all three, but was quickly replaced by a scowl. "That's in the past." he replied stiffly. "I've sown my wild oats and now I'm ready to settle down into a relationship. With Hermione. Who I love dearly"

Draco's eyes turned to misty ice. "Indeed? Perhaps you should have thought of that before you actually began dating the most intelligent girl in the school. I have it on good authority that she _loved_ you as well, which has caused me some confusion to say the least. But, honestly, how could you have thought she would swallow that kind of behavior? That being said, I suggest that you get your revolting presence out of here before I seriously reconsider hexing that disgustingly vacant expression off of your ugly little face, Weasel."

"It's a free world, ferret. I have business with my girlfriend." Ron insisted defiantly. It was galling to be lectured on behavior by Malfoy of all people. "I know she still loves me, and who knows? Maybe we'll even have a bit of make-up-"

"I'd strongly reconsider finishing that sentence, Weasley. And it's ex-girlfriend" If it were possible, Draco's eyes became even colder. Ron gaped slightly in surprise. He'd wanted a rise but he hadn't expected such fierceness from the git. So he went on, seeing how hard he could push before the Slytherin snapped.

"Oh yeah? What do you care anyway? Don't pretend to be all protective, I can see right through the act. Hermione merely needs to get this silly fling with you out of her system, then she'll come back to me. She's always had a bit of a rebellious streak, but eventually she will see her mistake."

"Actually Weasel, I think it's you who's mistaken. Either that or deluded to the highest extreme. You had your chance and blew it. Hermione is in love with me now and I plan on it staying that way for quite some time. So you see, you're wasting your time. Now please leave."

Ron stood there in utter shock. Then bewilderment subsided to unrestrained malicious fury. If he had in fact lost Hermione, then it was all Malfoy's fault.

Trouble had started in paradise only a month ago. No that was an understatement. Trouble had bloody well _erupted_ in an explosion of volcanic proportions. Somehow, rumours of his unfaithfulness (albeit true ones) had finally found the ears of their target. At first Hermione had ignored them, thinking they were only slander, perhaps started by Malfoy or any of his familiars. (Foul-faced git, he probably _had_ had a hand in moving them along.) And Ron had been supremely grateful that she was so loyal.

Then disaster struck. Lavender Brown, one of the girls he'd been sleeping with, had grown tired of being, 'the other woman' and had bluntly told Hermione that all the rumours were absolutely true.

In the face of this direct affirmation, Hermione had been unable to continue to ignore things. So she'd confronted Ron in the Gryffindor common room, with a dozen spectators to witness the affair. He'd at first blatantly denied any wrong doing, then under the pressure of her hurt, yet stubborn expression he eventually caved. He told her everything, believing this would make things easier on him.

He was mistaken. After his confession, she closed herself off from him and asked flatly, but in a mildly curious way, "why?" That was all she said, as if inquiring about the weather. Ron had stared at her dumbly then answered, "Well, because I'm a guy and guys need certain... things that I didn't think you were ready to give me."

"I see." she'd said calmly, but Ron had known her long enough to recognize the warning signs. "Because you are a homosapien and of the male gender, you feel that you are entitled to partake in infidelity, solely on the basis that you didn't think I was ready to enter into a physical relationship, despite the fact that I knew nothing of your thoughts beforehand and might or might not have proven you mistaken. Is that correct?" not really knowing what she'd just said, Ron had nodded hesitantly.

At this, Hermione had bit her lip thoughtfully. "I see. If that is so, then I also believe that, as a female homosapien, I too am entitled to a certain prerogative. Do you know what that prerogative is, dear Ronald Weasley?" Ron had shaken his head, negatively, mindful of the terrifying gleam that had come into her usually cheerful brown eyes. "Indeed. I believe that it is now within my rights to heave things indiscriminately at your head until it comes off, I'm exhausted, or you leave the room."

And with this, she'd reached for one of her many freakishly heavy books and began hurling them at him with uncanny aim and quickness. The rest of the people in the common room had scattered, throwing themselves behind furniture. He'd dodged, and ran until finally diving out of the Fat Lady's portrait hole. An hour later, she'd coolly informed him that their romantic relationship was over, but she might still be willing to be his friend in the future. The indefinite future, then had walked away.

Oddly enough she and Lavender were still friends.

At first Ron had been fine, accepting, even supportive when Harry asked him what he thought, confident that she only needed a little time and would eventually come to her senses. They would forgive each other and everything would return to the way it was. He entertained this certainty for a while. Until a fortnight ago, when he, along with the rest of Hogwarts, had gawked in disbelief as the Head Girl strode into the Great Hall hand in hand with her counterpart and the two shared a quite passionate, and quite _public_ kiss for all the school to witness and speculate on before separating to eat at their own tables.

For Ron it had all gone downhill from there.

In spite of (or perhaps because of?) who they were, the two were unexpectedly open with their affections. One would have never expected Draco Malfoy to walk down the hall holding hands with _anyone_, nor Hermione Granger to sit comfortably on someone's lap by the lake with her head on said someone's shoulder welcoming.

And the resentment had brewed and boiled inside of Ron, finally culminating in the stew of anger, malice, jealousy, and hatred that had brought him here tonight. It was too much. Subconsciously, what he'd really come here to do was beat the stuffing out of Draco Malfoy. Not only had he lost his girlfriend, but he'd lost her to his sworn enemy and a would-be-Death Eater. No, not lost, he corrected himself. She was just going through a phase. But right now he wanted to lash out and he wanted the aim to be deadly. He didn't care who got caught in the crossfire.

"Oh, come now Malfoy," Ron said with all the contempt in his tall, lanky body, affecting a sly grin. "Wizard to wizard, you can admit to me that you're only shagging the Head Girl to get your sick little jollies. Out of curiosity, you know? Probably some depraved desire to see what it's like to fuck a Mudblood before you turn Death Eater and kill them all." Ron was supremely proud of the way he delivered that little jab. At least until the Slytherin got over his monumental astonishment.

Malfoy was so swift that Ron didn't even realize he'd moved until he was upon him, pushing the much taller boy against the wall with an arm to his throat. Those damnable seeker reflexes, of course. "What did you say, you bloody bastard?" he asked rhetorically with a kind of savage courtesy. He hadn't even broken a sweat though Ron was bucking and straining against his iron grip.

Draco let up the pressure on the Gryffindor's throat just enough that he could speak, but still had a hand pressed painfully against the other boy's diaphragm. The little fuck up wasn't going to get away with what he'd just said, no matter the new-found tolerance Draco had only only just discovered for the red headed rat.

"What the hell's wrong with you Malfoy?!" Ron wheezed.

"Don't you _ever_ refer to her in that derogatory again!"

"You did for six years!"

"Yes Weasley I did, but that's in the past and I certainly never called her my _friend_ on those occasions, and I'm doing everything I can to make up for it now. You have absolutely _no_ excuse. You ruined the thing you had with her with her--not the other way around, and for the life of me I _cannot_ wrap my brain around exactly _why _you would behave so deplorably when you had _her_ right there at your side. Not that I'm complaining about that, of course--one wizard's mistake is another's great fortune. And another thing. I am _not,_ nor have I ever been, _nor_ will I _ever_ _be_ a Death Eater. Got that, Weasel?" Ron could do little more than nod in the face of such rage.

Draco released him and turned away in disgust. "If it weren't for the fact that she would be extremely displeased with me if I hexed you into oblivion, there'd no longer be a Ronald Weasley on this earth" Then he said shrewdly, "You don't love Hermione, nor do I think did you ever. You just love the idea of having her."

. "For your information I _do too_ love her! What, pray tell, could a _Malfoy_ know about love anyway? Do you even know what love is?" Ron spat. He was still heaving from air deprivation

Draco spoke with his back still to the Weasel. "Maybe I don't really know what exactly love is. I am rather new to it, this being the first time I have encountered it in myself. But do I know what love isn't. It's not intentionally hurtful. It's not deceitful. And most of all, it's not selfish. Perhaps you do love her, but if you won't admit it to me, at least admit it to yourself--you were never _in_ love with her. Why else would you have shagged the three most gossipmonging girls in the entirety of Hogwarts? Because you knew Hermione would eventually discover you, and even if you didn't realize it, you wanted it. No, you weren't, nor are you in love with her--you just hate the thought that _she_ might be in love with _me. _And that, my financially challenged, carrot headed _friend_ is why you are the most insufferably selfish git I have ever had the displeasure of meeting." Draco sighed. He'd probably just condemned himself by saying these things to the other boy. His thoughts were directed inward for a moment, but he shook himself out of it. When he faced Weasley his features were carefully arranged into a stony countenance, and his silver eyes were glacial. "Now, if you please, get the fuck out of here right now. I am quickly losing my admirable tolerance for your nauseating presence. And no, that's not me being 'high and mighty', it's me being very pissed off at having been awakened from a sound sleep and forced to listen to an hour's worth of your nearly incognizant ravings at two in the morning. You know, just out of spite, tomorrow I think I'll report you to your head of house for breaking curfew."

Draco pushed the protesting red head to the portrait hole and practically threw him into the ghostly silent corridor. "Have a pleasant evening, and say hello to Filch for me, alright? Ta ta" The portal slammed closed leaving a fuming Ronald Weasely safely on the other side. Out of site, out of mind. As an afterthought, Draco cast a silencing spell, just in case the Weasel got it in his head to start up another god awful rackett.

With a sleepy yawn, he padded back to the bedroom, disrobed and slipped naked into the bed beside Hermione. Immediately she snuggled up against him and Draco wrapped an arm around her waist, anchoring her to his side.

"Where'd you go?" she inquired sleepily.

Draco thought it over before answering. "I just had to see to a rather irritating rodent."

"Hmm, 'kay." A pause, then "Draco?"

"What?" He was already being lulled back into an inviting slumber.

"Thanks for not killing him."

Eyes still closed, Draco's lips curled into a smile and wondered how he could have thought she wouldn't hear. "Don't mention it... literally. My already tattered reputation can't take any more damage"

"Mm, Git," she chided and slapped his chest playfully, then apologized by kissing the spot.

"All the way to the ends of my fingertips," he agreed.

She drew circles on his chest, thoughtfully chewing her bottom lip. Finally, she whispered, "Draco, what you said... about being in love with me... was it true? Or were you just baiting Ron?" she seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for his answer.

"Granger, without a doubt, that is the most insulting thing you have ever said to me. I thought the most intelligent witch of our age would have been able to figure out something so obvious,"

Hermione relaxed, seemingly satisfied. Her eyes drooped, then closed all the way.

"Hermione, I love you.

But it seemed she had already faded into unconsciousness. Draco grinned and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, pulled her even closer, and just as he was drifting, the words he had been so badly wanting to hear reached his sensitive ears.

"I love you too, Draco."

Sleep claimed him, and all his dreams that night were sweet.

So, so, so....? How'd you like it? I absolutely had to get that out of my system before I went batty. Or continued TAFD for that matter. I thought it was pretty good and I'm notoriously critical of my own work. On a side note, I don't have anything against Ron, but he had to be that way to suit the purpose of the fic. I'm sorry that I mostly portrayed him in a rather unflattering way. I'm also sorry the whole thing was rather abrupt. What could I do to make it better? I don't think I'll continue it, but should I? **Review! I want to know what you're thinking!!!**


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